Kruuda takes charge of WRC 2 in Finland

Karl Kruuda inherited a comfortable lead in WRC 2 at Neste Oil Rally Finland during Saturday’s third leg after a puncture relegated Jari Ketomaa to second.

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The Estonian, driving a Ford Fiesta S2000, headed the pre-event favourite by 2min 35.9sec. After his flat tyre was compounded by a sticking throttle in the final special stage, Ketomaa has just 21.9sec in hand over charging team-mate Ott Tänak.

Ketomaa lost 3min 30sec after his morning puncture in Surkee (SS16). The flat was made worse when his Ford Fiesta R5 fell off the jack as the crew replaced the wheel.

“I tried to be very cautious but in some corners I was a little bit too much on the inside and hit a rock,” said Ketomaa.

Tanak ended Saturday's competition in third

A second puncture this afternoon proved less damaging but left Kruuda clear. However, he endured a nervous afternoon after hitting a huge hole across the road which activated the oil pressure warning light. He believed it was a faulty sensor but kept a close eye on the dashboard for the rest of the day.

“I’ve had some troubles and so I’m happy just to reach the end of the day,” said Kruuda. “I will go into tomorrow with a comfortable lead and that’s a good way in which to go to sleep tonight.”

Broken power steering cost Tänak a minute in this morning’s final stage. He regained most of the time but the Estonian was aware that, with his team-mate immediately in front, third might be as high as he could climb.

Yazeed Al Rajhi was fourth in a Fiesta RRC, more than a minute behind Tänak. Eyvind Brynildsen lay fifth, despite a final stage puncture, and Juan Carlos Alonso completed the top six in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.

Sébastien Chardonnet crashed his Citroen DS3 out of third and Valeriy Gorban retired his Mini John Cooper Works – both in the stage where Ketomaa first hit trouble.